"But placebos do not cure. And in studies where doctors are looking at whether a tumor shrinks, placebos have very little, if any, effect."

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"Researchers agree that the placebo effect can’t cure people or make them live a lot longer."

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"When the patients’ rankings were compared with outcomes others could measure (like the amount of swelling, fever, or movement) there were often no improvements in the measurable outcomes."

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"A 2010 review carefully analyzed more than 200 studies that included a placebo group along with a “no treatment” group. The reviewers found that placebo treatments don’t have major effects on illness, but in certain settings they appear to improve patient-reported outcomes – especially pain and nausea."